featured artist beauty

And the Next Face of Mehron Is …Yana Kravchenko

In celebration of our 90th anniversary, we held a very special Instagram contest: The Next Face of Mehron Makeup. What is unique about Mehron is that we are truly a Performance AND Beauty brand. Throughout the years, our roots, which were firmly planted in stage and screen makeup, have grown to include beauty products MUAs rely on across the globe. The split-face image on our website’s home page incorporates our two worlds - Beauty and Performance. We held the contest to find an artist who could encapsulate these worlds into a new look that embodies the brand. And we found her - Yana Kravchenko.

Yana is an incredibly talented self-taught artist from the Ukraine. It is hard to believe that she only started with makeup in February 2017 after seeing Mehron’s Valentine’s Day Challenge. Each of her Instagram looks, from her first through her last post, are amazing. Yana’s artistic abilities shone in each of her exceptional contest submissions - there were eight! The winning X-Ray look stood out the most for its creativity and realism. Her effort, excitement, and passion truly personify the Mehron Girl.

Q and A

Mehron: What inspired you to take part in the Next Face of Mehron contest?Paloma: I think every contest that Mehron hosts is incredible and inspiring by itself. Mehron always provides amazing opportunities for artists to show the world their vision. I thought it would be the biggest achievement in my career to become the face of my favorite brand. So, I decided to give it a shot. It was so interesting to watch other artists’ entries. I was so amazed by their talent. Looking at all the incredible entries I thought it would be so hard for Mehron to pick only one artist. I honestly didn’t expect it to be me because every one deserves the attention.

Mehron: How did you decide to submit the winning half X-Ray look?Yana: I was inspired by my husband. Right before I did the look he was telling me about the Terminator movie. I had never watched it. He got me thinking about humans and machines, about how a machine can see a human, and then the x-ray idea came to my mind - real machines that see humans as we are.

Mehron: How long did it take you to create this look?Yana: I took me around five hours. I’ve never done this look before so in process I had to figure out some drawing techniques. All I can say, is that I absolutely enjoyed creating it!

Mehron: Why did you submit eight entries for the contest?Yana: I would have submitted more if I had time ha-ha. I got so much inspiration from the contest it was unbelievable. I wanted to try out different styles and concepts. I wanted to challenge myself to do something no one did before.

Mehron: What is the first memory you have of using makeup?Yana: I used my mom’s makeup to draw under the carpet so no one could see it. I was around three-years-old, I guess.

Mehron: When did you start body painting and creating special effects looks?Yana: I started doing makeup after I saw Mehron’s Valentine’s Day Challenge. For the first time in my life I saw the company that not only produces makeup, but which also inspires artists for incredible looks. So, I’m doing makeup for seven months now. I have so much stuff to learn and practice.

Mehron: What artists inspire you?Yana: Jordan Hanz was the first artist that inspired me, but now I have so many great artists as friends in my community and they are all very talented and inspiring.

Mehron: From where do you draw inspiration for your looks?Yana: I literally find inspiration everywhere, but my favorite way to get inspired is to watch people’s personalities, personal features, moods, and emotions. There you can find something that no one can see, but you can imagine that character in your mind, and if you can imagine it, you can draw it.

Mehron: What does it mean to you to be the Next Face of Mehron?Yana: Honestly, it means a whole world to me. My first paints were from Mehron. Thanks to Mehron I met so many amazing artists and friends. Mehron was with me from the start, so becoming the Next Face of Mehron for me is something too special, something that I could only dream of. It is such a big honor for me. That is something I can be proud of. Thank you!